Life Lately
Not a lot going on here in Jana-land but it's been a bit since I last updated with anything life-like.
I'm going to go head and say I'm 100% done with my Christmas shopping. I ordered Daddy's yesterday and pray it comes in on time and that's that. I COULD get Emmy a little something else but I'm not going to stress about it. She's 16. Chances are good she's not going to be thrilled with anything my measly Christmas budget can afford anyway. So I'm sticking a fork in this madness and calling it done.
Sis2 and I did our annual sister shopping day this past Saturday. I picked her up and we went for a leisurely "breakfast" at Starbucks. Normally we do the big breakfast at one of the breakfasty places in town; Huddle House, Denny's, etc. But this year I had a gift card to Applebee's so we decided to save the big meal of the day for lunch. We ate petite vanilla bean scones and drank Caramel Brule lattes and chatted at Starbuck's like the hipsters we are (not) before heading out to "shop local." Which I mostly did all my shopping locally this year. The only gifts I had to order were my parents and Alyssa's. The gifts I got my parents are things that I couldn't find locally but just absolutely HAD to get them. And Alyssa's, I ordered off of Walmart.com during cyber week. I managed to get the live action Cinderella DVD for $7.99! Too good a deal to pass up.
Anyway, we went to all the little stores we don't normally go to during the year. All the gifty type places like Hallmark, the Book Mart, and the new candy shop. Oh, and we even went to the Co-Op in case we found something there for Daddy who is impossible to shop for. We did, of course, also go to Wal-Mart, Goody's, Dollar Tree, and Dollar General.
But let me tell you about lunch.
I haven't been to Applebee's in forever. Two years, maybe? Not because I don't like it, just because I rarely eat out anywhere other than fast food or sandwich shops unless I'm with friends or my sisters. My friends and I haven't been out on girls' night for nearly two years and when I go out with my sisters we usually have to find a more budget friendly place.
But I digress. So, I've been seeing the commercial for the "triple hog dare ya" at Applebee's (pulled pork, ham and bacon on a ciabata bun) and really wanted to try it. Hey, pork is my favorite meat, so...whatever. Sis2 wanted to try it, too, but she also wanted to try another new thing called a maple chicken padini wrap which I also thought sounded good. So we decided we'd each order one and then split them so that we each got to try both. The waitress, though...when I ordered the triple hog dare ya gave me this really weird look. I still can't decide it if was judgment, surprise or what. But it was the kind of look that made me feel the need to apologize for ordering it. I mean, I didn't change my order but I definitely felt shamed enough to shrug and say, "I just want to try it." or something like that. I started to wonder if it was this huge thing and she thought I was being a hog, myself, for ordering it or maybe she was comparing me to the hog in the name of the thing. But when it came out, I almost laughed because I felt like she'd judged me and here it was, this little slip of a sandwich. I mean, it wasn't even one of the large square ciabata buns that I've bought in the store. It was a thin rectangular bun that when I cut it in half to share with Sis2 made a cute little slider sized sandwich. In fact, the padini wrap that Sis2 ordered was WAY bigger. So dear Applebee's waitress: Take your judgment and shove it up your rear!
Both the padini wrap and the hog of shame were delicious, by the way. Highly recommend both.
We enjoyed our lunch date, though, because we were tired from shopping but also it's always nice to be able to have a conversation with her without the kids interrupting. Don't get me wrong, I love both her kids to pieces but sometimes it's nice to just get to talk to my sister, ya know?
We didn't get finished with our shopping until around 4:30ish and took ice creams to the kids who begged me to stay. Or to take them with me. Well, to be exact, Ethan wanted me to stay and Alyssa wanted me to take her with me. :-D Either way, it was after 6 before I got home Saturday night and I was exhausted!
Sunday I was back in town for church. Alyssa sang Christmas carols with the children's choir so I had to be there. They both wanted me to go back to their house to hang out but I still had to do my grocery shopping.
And speaking of grocery shopping...WHAT IS UP WITH ALL THIS EXPENSIVE FOOD??? I don't buy a whole lot in the way of groceries or necessities but dag-gum I spend a lot of money. I've already had to up my budget just to be able to afford to feed Libby and myself and I still go over budget nearly every week. And then I get home and still have to wonder what I'm going to eat all week. It's terrible. And I'm officially one of the old ladies complaining about the cost of things. haha
Work is winding down in anticipation of the Christmas Break. Well, I mean, there's still plenty to do and we've still go patrons coming in but I mean winding down in the sense that my brain is starting to shut down so that by Friday I'll be a useless pile of slush and everything I didn't get finished will just hafta wait until January. :-D
And that's life in Jana-land right now. Hurry Christmas break...don't be late!
I'm going to go head and say I'm 100% done with my Christmas shopping. I ordered Daddy's yesterday and pray it comes in on time and that's that. I COULD get Emmy a little something else but I'm not going to stress about it. She's 16. Chances are good she's not going to be thrilled with anything my measly Christmas budget can afford anyway. So I'm sticking a fork in this madness and calling it done.
Sis2 and I did our annual sister shopping day this past Saturday. I picked her up and we went for a leisurely "breakfast" at Starbucks. Normally we do the big breakfast at one of the breakfasty places in town; Huddle House, Denny's, etc. But this year I had a gift card to Applebee's so we decided to save the big meal of the day for lunch. We ate petite vanilla bean scones and drank Caramel Brule lattes and chatted at Starbuck's like the hipsters we are (not) before heading out to "shop local." Which I mostly did all my shopping locally this year. The only gifts I had to order were my parents and Alyssa's. The gifts I got my parents are things that I couldn't find locally but just absolutely HAD to get them. And Alyssa's, I ordered off of Walmart.com during cyber week. I managed to get the live action Cinderella DVD for $7.99! Too good a deal to pass up.
Anyway, we went to all the little stores we don't normally go to during the year. All the gifty type places like Hallmark, the Book Mart, and the new candy shop. Oh, and we even went to the Co-Op in case we found something there for Daddy who is impossible to shop for. We did, of course, also go to Wal-Mart, Goody's, Dollar Tree, and Dollar General.
But let me tell you about lunch.
I haven't been to Applebee's in forever. Two years, maybe? Not because I don't like it, just because I rarely eat out anywhere other than fast food or sandwich shops unless I'm with friends or my sisters. My friends and I haven't been out on girls' night for nearly two years and when I go out with my sisters we usually have to find a more budget friendly place.
But I digress. So, I've been seeing the commercial for the "triple hog dare ya" at Applebee's (pulled pork, ham and bacon on a ciabata bun) and really wanted to try it. Hey, pork is my favorite meat, so...whatever. Sis2 wanted to try it, too, but she also wanted to try another new thing called a maple chicken padini wrap which I also thought sounded good. So we decided we'd each order one and then split them so that we each got to try both. The waitress, though...when I ordered the triple hog dare ya gave me this really weird look. I still can't decide it if was judgment, surprise or what. But it was the kind of look that made me feel the need to apologize for ordering it. I mean, I didn't change my order but I definitely felt shamed enough to shrug and say, "I just want to try it." or something like that. I started to wonder if it was this huge thing and she thought I was being a hog, myself, for ordering it or maybe she was comparing me to the hog in the name of the thing. But when it came out, I almost laughed because I felt like she'd judged me and here it was, this little slip of a sandwich. I mean, it wasn't even one of the large square ciabata buns that I've bought in the store. It was a thin rectangular bun that when I cut it in half to share with Sis2 made a cute little slider sized sandwich. In fact, the padini wrap that Sis2 ordered was WAY bigger. So dear Applebee's waitress: Take your judgment and shove it up your rear!
Both the padini wrap and the hog of shame were delicious, by the way. Highly recommend both.
We enjoyed our lunch date, though, because we were tired from shopping but also it's always nice to be able to have a conversation with her without the kids interrupting. Don't get me wrong, I love both her kids to pieces but sometimes it's nice to just get to talk to my sister, ya know?
We didn't get finished with our shopping until around 4:30ish and took ice creams to the kids who begged me to stay. Or to take them with me. Well, to be exact, Ethan wanted me to stay and Alyssa wanted me to take her with me. :-D Either way, it was after 6 before I got home Saturday night and I was exhausted!
Sunday I was back in town for church. Alyssa sang Christmas carols with the children's choir so I had to be there. They both wanted me to go back to their house to hang out but I still had to do my grocery shopping.
And speaking of grocery shopping...WHAT IS UP WITH ALL THIS EXPENSIVE FOOD??? I don't buy a whole lot in the way of groceries or necessities but dag-gum I spend a lot of money. I've already had to up my budget just to be able to afford to feed Libby and myself and I still go over budget nearly every week. And then I get home and still have to wonder what I'm going to eat all week. It's terrible. And I'm officially one of the old ladies complaining about the cost of things. haha
Work is winding down in anticipation of the Christmas Break. Well, I mean, there's still plenty to do and we've still go patrons coming in but I mean winding down in the sense that my brain is starting to shut down so that by Friday I'll be a useless pile of slush and everything I didn't get finished will just hafta wait until January. :-D
And that's life in Jana-land right now. Hurry Christmas break...don't be late!
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